Doc denies helping Armstrong

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Madrid - A Spanish doctor who worked with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong's US Postal Service team on Wednesday denied being part of a doping network, after he was banned for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Luis Garcia Del Moral, who worked with the cycling team between 1999 and 2003, has been accused of helped the shamed rider and his team-mates to take banned substances.

The doctor said in a statement that he played no part in any doping network and "never incited the use of doping substances" during his time with the team.

"During my years as doctor for US Postal, I never witnessed organised doping in the team nor incited it personally," he said. "As a doctor, my actions were to maintain the health of cyclists and oversee their physical performance."

Garcia Del Moral went on to say that he was first contacted by USADA in June 2012 to respond to the claims of several witnesses, including former US Postal Service riders.

He said that the USADA recommended that he gave evidence against Armstrong and if he did so no action would be taken against him for his role.

Armstrong - one of cycling's most recognisable figures - was this week banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France victories plus career record back to 1998 for doping, plunging the sport into crisis.

Garcia Del Moral denied the accusations against him and rejected the chance to defend himself before the USADA, leading to him being banned for life.

He is disputing the decision on the grounds that he had never seen the agency's complete report on "the Armstrong system".

The Spanish anti-doping agency on October 12 raised the possibility of court action against Garcia Del Moral, another Spanish doctor and a former trainer over claims that illegal doping activities took place in the country.

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